At Downtown Design’s fair section for limited-edition and bespoke design, regional creatives will showcase works that interpret collective and personal heritage through contemporary design.
Emirati designer Aljoud Lootah, for example, will present a numbered, limited-edition collection of boxes inspired by the Mandoos, a traditional Emirati dowry chest. Updating the box through material manipulation featuring leather and metalwork techniques, Aljoud builds on her portfolio of products inspired by the UAE’s heritage.
Also seeking inspiration from the region, UAE-based designer Hajer Abdullah will launch her studio with a collection of furniture and accessories that draw from the region’s equestrian culture. Within scenography inspired by a Bedouin tent, she will present Al Khayal, a seating collection that nods to the braiding patterns often found on horses in the Middle East.
Looking to reimagine the functionality and aesthetics of locally sourced materials and craftsmanship, Sharjah-based designer Jawaher Alkhayyal’s handcrafted furniture will celebrate the traditional Emirati craft of palm frond weaving.
Also making his debut as a product designer, Kuwaiti designer Meshary Alnassar explores his childhood fascination with shapes. In collaboration with a stone workshop in Puglia, Italy, he interprets Nature’s equilibrium with a collection of sculptural lights made from recomposed marble.
Featuring collaborations with eco-conscious manufacturers such as Kvadrat Maharam and Ranieri Lava Stone, Dubai-based award-winning architect Jennie Binchy will present a collection of ten tables, each inspired by her view on sustainable design and passion for material innovation.
Combining artisanal crafts and noble materials with a contemporary view, father and son duo, Wajih and Omar Nakkash return to Downtown Editions with a new collection of decorative objects inspired by the Levantine design ethos.
Artist and designer Cecilia Setterdahl is known for one-of-a-kind rugs that are born from her artworks. At this year's showcase, she will present her latest collection handwoven by India-based artisans who meticulously translated her canvasses into rugs using the finest wools and natural dyes.
Architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib are the 2019 class of Tashkeel’s Tanween Design Programme. At Downtown Editions, they will present a diverse collection of accessories and furniture inspired by their individual experiences and viewed through the lens of their chosen design fields.
Also presenting at this year, studios such as 1971 Design Space, Kawn, Kashida, Jeel and Roudha Al Shamsi, amongst others, will lend their unique narratives to regional design.
Alongside established and emerging regional designers, Downtown Editions will feature the latest works by international designers and studios. Brooklyn-based designer Fernando Mastrangelo, Arijian from South Korea and Tasca4D from Japan are amongst those presenting collectable design at the fair in November.
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